Could Nick Saban trade in his comfy position as a lead college football analyst for ESPN to put back on a headset?
There has been buzz in the last few days about the 73-year-old eyeing a return to the sideline, presumably in the NFL.
Colin Cowherd recently floated the Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, and New Orleans Saints as teams to watch, to pair Saban with an elite signal caller like Joe Burrow or an enticing incoming rookie such as Arch Manning.
Today, the FS1 talking head asked a prominent collegiate coach about the possibility of Saban coming out of retirement.
While appearing on "The Herd," Texas coach Steve Sarkisian gave his take on his former colleague and seven-time national champion.
"I don't know," Sarkisian said. "He is a great coach. I really loved my time working for Nick. I think he feels really comfortable to me. He's really good on television, and he's played a lot of golf, which I know he loves doing. Ms. Terry loves having him at home. I know he's one of, if not the most, competitive person I've ever been around, so I'm sure those competitive juices get flowing, but he looks like he's having a lot of fun."
Saban would realistically only have a three- to four-year shelf life if he returned, which makes a rebuild with Arch incredibly unlikely.
It would make far more sense if an owner brought Saban in to get a squad like the Bengals over the hump, but Saban already has an untouchable resume and doesn't need the money, so what does he gain by doing that?
As Sark suggested, Saban appears content with his current role as a beloved member of the media and doesn't need the stress at this age to pursue a new venture of this magnitude.